Basketballer Kevin Love Joins 'Built With Chocolate Milk' Campaign

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The nation’s biggest college basketball tournament is in full swing and players are not only looking to rebound on the court, but also post-game so they can give it their all in the next round. One former college basketball star – now one of the biggest pros in the sport – will show how rebounding and shattering records are BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK.

Kevin Love dominates the backboards and for years the 6’10” power forward has downed chocolate milk to help him rebound on and off the court. With 82 professional basketball games scheduled each season, extensive travel and almost no days off, it’s essential for him to restore his body after games and practices. Backed by more than 20 studies, lowfat chocolate milk has high-quality protein to build lean muscle and nutrients to help muscles rebound.

BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK: Kevin Love Gets Results
At the peak of his career, on a championship-caliber team and gracing the covers of magazines, Kevin Love will now star in a major national BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK TV, print and digital campaign debuting March 18. Fans will learn the secret to his rebounding skills that started when his mom gave him chocolate milk following his basketball games as a kid. The 30-second TV spot pits Love against a basketball-shooting robot that tests his standout rebounding skills by rapidly firing numerous shots. Ultimately, Love defeats the machine by pulling down every rebound until the robot burns out.

“One thing I’ve taken seriously over the years is how important recovery is after my training and games,” said Love. “Thanks to my mom, chocolate milk has been my go-to recovery drink since I was 8 years old and it has continued to help me come back game after game.”

Love joins a long line-up of elite athletes who make chocolate milk their post-workout drink of choice, such as IRONMAN® Triathlon Champions Mirinda Carfrae, Craig Alexander and Luke McKenzie.

“Kevin does what many other elite athletes have been doing for years – rebounds with chocolate milk,” said Miranda Abney, Marketing Director at the Milk Processor Education Program, the group behind the BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK campaign. “Breaking records and consistently being a game changer for his team, it’s no surprise Love is one of the biggest names in the sport right now.  In this campaign, exercisers everywhere can get a unique look into what he does on and off the court to get results."

Chocolate Milk: Built With Science
More than 20 scientific studies including athletes from sports spanning running, cycling, swimming and soccer support the benefits of recovering after strenuous exercise with the high-quality protein and nutrients found in chocolate milk. As part of a regular recovery routine, it’s an ideal way to help athletes rebuild and reshape with high quality protein scientifically shown to help repair muscles. In fact, drinking chocolate milk after a tough workout could give athletes a performance edge. According to a recent study, runners ran twenty-three percent longer in the next run and saw a thirty-eight percent increase in signs of muscle building when they drank fat free chocolate milk after their run, compared to a carb-only sports drink.1Other research suggests regularly recovering with chocolate milk could help athletes tone up. Milk’s high quality protein has been shown to help athletes gain more lean muscle compared to drinking a carb-only or soy protein beverage, and even lose fat when compared to drinking a carb-only beverage, as part of a regular workout and recovery routine.2,3,4

To learn more about the BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK campaign, the science behind the recovery benefits of lowfat chocolate milk, and to watch Kevin Love’s 30-second TV spot and exclusive behind-the-scenes videos, visit BuiltWithChocolateMilk.com. Join the conversation on Facebook/BuiltWithChocolateMilk, Twitter @Chocolate_Milk and on Instagram @BuiltWithChocolateMilk.

About the BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK Campaign
The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation's milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. The National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board, through MilkPEP, runs the BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK Campaign, a multi-faceted program designed to educate athletes and exercisers about the recovery benefits of lowfat chocolate milk after strenuous exercise.  Lowfat chocolate milk helps athletes refuel, rebuild and reshape after regular exercise – with high quality protein scientifically shown to help repair and rebuild muscles. For more information, go to www.BuiltWithChocolateMilk.com.

Sources:

  1. Lunn WR, et al. Chocolate milk & endurance exercise recovery: protein balance, glycogen and performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2012;44:682-691.
  2. Hartman JW, et al. Consumption of fat-free fluid milk following resistance exercise promotes greater lean mass accretion than soy or carbohydrate consumption in young novice male weightlifters. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007;86:373-381.
  3. Josse AR, et al. Body composition and strength changes in women with milk and resistance exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2010;42:1122-1130.
  4. McCleave EL, et al. Effects of aerobic training and nutritional supplementation on body composition, immune cells and inflammatory markers. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2011; 23:442.

Source: The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP)